If you are someone that uses a wheelchair or other type of mobility scooter, then you are likely able to go many places that you could not otherwise safely or easily go. These devices can greatly improve your ability to get around. While very versatile and depending on the model able to take you pretty much anywhere, many can not be easily placed into the car, so if you intend to use it away from the home, you will probably need a vehicle wheelchair lift.

There are a lot of different models and styles of electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Like most things portable models are available of both types that are lightweight and great for traveling. In regards to scooters, travel scooters are available that are lightweight and easy to disassemble. These can prove very useful, but they are often lacking in features, weight support, and range. They can be great for short trips or going on vacation, but for regular everyday use, they are not as attractive. Likely a full-sized scooter will be a better fit, which is why a vehicle scooter carrier is required.

There are two types of scooter carriers available; those that are mounted internally and those that are mounted externally. An external lift is attached directly to a vehicles hitch and usually uses a platform to raise and lower the scooter or wheelchair.

One major advantage of using a hitch mounted lift is that they usually require little installation. Often, they simply slide into the vehicles hitch and you are ready to go. They also do not require any major modification to the car and do not deprive you of any space inside your vehicle.

Hitch mounted lifts are available for all hitch types including Class I, Class II, and Class III. Most, however, are designed for use with Class II or Class III hitches. This is because a Class I hitch can not support that much weight. As a result, a lift made for a Class I hitch will usually only work with lightweight or micro scooters and wheelchairs.

Hitch mounted lifts are great because of how quickly they can be installed or removed, but using one means that your scooter or wheelchair will be exposed to the elements as it is carried on the back of your car, SUV, or truck. Internal lifts, on the other hand, keep your scooter or wheelchair inside of your automobile.

There are two main types of internal lifts; those that use a crane-like wench system and those that use a platform. The crane-like lifts are great for cars, but they can also be used with trucks, SUVs, and Vans.

A harness is attached to the scooter or wheelchair and it is then lifted into the vehicle. Some allow the entire portion of the crane to be controlled electronically, while others require that you swing the scooter or wheelchair into and away from the automobile. There is also a hitch mounted crane lift available that allows you to store the scooter or wheelchair internally.

The other type of internal lift uses a platform, which the scooter or wheelchair is driven onto. These share many similarities to hitch mounted lifts, but they are designed to be used in the middle of a van or rear of a Van or SUV. Typically for cars, you would need to go with a crane-like internal lift.